Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) NetworkingAutomation and ProgrammabilityMedium
A network operations team is implementing an automation script to regularly check the status of network device interfaces. The script needs to fetch current operational data from a device's API without making any changes. Which API interaction type is being performed?
- AIdempotent
- BDeclarative
- CImperative
- DQuery
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Query
Fetching current operational data from an API without making changes is a 'query' operation. This falls under the general category of retrieving information, which is a common function of APIs.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Idempotent refers to an operation that produces the same result if executed multiple times, which is a property of some API calls, not a type of interaction itself.
- B. Declarative APIs specify the desired end state, not the steps.
- C. Imperative APIs specify the exact steps to achieve a state.
API Query
An API interaction type where a request is made to retrieve specific information or data from a system without altering its state or resources.
- Retrieves data only
- Does not modify the resource or system state
- Often uses HTTP GET method
Memory trick: APIs let you Talk, Ask, and Change.